Mexico goat moved to undisclosed location pending auction

For his own safety, he has been moved to “an undisclosed location," Nancy Schrock, an employee of the Missouri Livestock Center, said, dispelling rumors on Twitter that Billy had been kidnapped.

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Mervin Beechy stands near the Mexico goat, known as Billy the kid, Billy Goat Gruff and just Billy, on Thursday at the Missouri Livestock Market Center in Mexico. Since capturing the runaway goat, Beechy has kept it at the stockyard during the day and transfers the goat to an undisclosed location at night because he fears for its safety and is worried someone else may try to steal it. Beechy plans to put the goat up for auction Sept. 9 with proceeds benefiting the Audrain Humane Society in Mexico.

"Billy Goat Gruff," a goat that eluded capture while roaming around Mexico, Mo., for the past week, stands in a pen on Thursday at the Missouri Livestock Market Center in Mexico. The goat was lassoed by Mervin Beechy on Tuesday night outside a Dairy Queen. The goat, a 4-year-old Boar/Nubian crossbreed, became well-known throughout Missouri and amassed more than 10,000 "likes" on Facebook.

Previously, visitors were allowed to see Billy during the day. According to a Missourian article, Mervin Beechy, the man who captured Billy, moved him to a secure location each night to keep him away from potential rescuers.

Billy's caretaker could soon be the mysterious creator of the Mexico, Mo., goat’s Facebook page. In an e-mail, the man, who simply goes by the acronym "TMG," said he plans to bid on Billy at the auction.

“I will probably attend, or send support, so to speak. Either bid by proxy or personally bid,” TMG wrote.

TMG said he is from Mexico and was made aware of Billy’s escapades on the radio after hearing his co-workers discuss it.

As for why he decided to devote time and energy to an animal on the loose, TMG said he thought it would be “fun to start a fan page on the wandering goat.”

“It was kind of funny and whimsical, and even though it started slow, it snowballed into something very big and very special,” he said.

Perhaps no one but the man who currently channels Billy’s thoughts can put it better.

“Billy captures what most of us all want right now," TMG said. "Freedom, the ability to have a more carefree life, and he is a very positive goat to have around. Something that we all long to have is his outlook and perseverance."